App aids travelers local and abroad

“Can you come over here and help me search for a hotel in Oslo?” asked my mom, looking a bit flustered. Her laptop was on the kitchen table and travel papers surrounded her like a sea of printed reviews and prices. We pulled up TripAdvisor on her computer and the app on my phone. Soon we were finding hotels in Bergen, Flam, Gudvangen and Oslo. The hotels, information and reviews for our trip to Norway were at our fingertips.

The TripAdvisor app allows users to plan ahead or find the best places around while traveling. (Photo from tourismeschool.com)

TripAdvisor is not only a website, but also an app that can be added to one’s phone as well. TripAdvisor’s tagline says, “Read reviews, Compare prices, Book your perfect trip.” The app allows users to easily plan trips and find travel destinations.

The TripAdvisor app is free to download. When people open the app, they will have a choice to sign in by creating an account with TripAdvisor, logging in with Gmail or logging in through Facebook. These choices give the user multiple options.

Once users are logged in, they will see a similar format to the online version of TripAdvisor. The app has a search bar for users to search a city, hotel, restaurant or any travel-related things. Underneath the search bar are specified buttons named hotel search, restaurant search, things to do search, flight search and vacation rental search.

The app has different sections where travelers can automatically search for places “Near Me Now.” This button is especially convenient when searching for a restaurant while at a location. Viewers can easily look at the options nearby and read the reviews of other visitors. The app also has a section where users can keep track of cities they have searched, as well as reviews, photos and points. There are sections for saved places, bookings, downloaded cities, draft reviews, forums, write a review, travel tools, a help center, feedback and settings.

One of the disadvantages of the app is that users must be connected to the internet to access searches. This could be inconvenient if users are in a rural area trying to find areas to travel. Another disadvantage is that some reviews may be fake or biased, but overall the TripAdvisor app is well-established and popular among users. Users can easily access travel advice and options whether they are staying local or traveling abroad.